I am a pasta fanatic. This is why I’ll share with you this pasta chicken ragu that I love cooking. If it weren’t because I only eat carbohydrates on the weekend, I would eat it for every meal. I do find, however, that when people cook pasta at home, they tend to use one or two go-to recipes without much variety.
For example, most people can make a pretty good spaghetti with tomato sauce; the other option is a cream sauce like Alfredo. I love both of those dishes, but I’m always looking for diversity in what I cook.
Pasta is a great vehicle that can handle almost any flavour profile, but I believe that the idea of pasta as a vehicle can be a bit deceptive. Often people over-sauce their pasta. As a result, the pasta fades to the background of the dish. I prefer the flavour of the pasta and the flavour of the sauce to enhance each other. For this issue, I wanted to create something light and comforting, showcasing interesting flavours complemented by the flavour of the pasta.
If you are looking for a new and different pasta recipe, please try my Pasta Chicken Ragu.
Pasta Chicken Ragu
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds of minced chicken
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 leek, cut into half-moons
- 1 bunch of chard, roughly chopped
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and more for topping
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
- 1 box of any short-grain pasta (such as penne or rigatoni)
Instructions
- Heat a large high-sided skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium-high. Add 2 carrots (save the remaining carrot for later), celery and onion. Cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Salt and pepper the chicken mince. Move the vegetables to the side of the pan to make room for the chicken. Add chicken and cook for about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, let boil, cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 45 minutes.
- When the chicken is almost done, bring a pot of water to boil and begin cooking pasta. Drain when done, saving pasta water; set aside.
- After the chicken has cooked for approximately 10 minutes, remove it to cool and strain the broth. Toss out the veggies and herbs that were strained. Heat pan to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add leeks and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add strained broth and bring to a boil to reduce by half.
- Add chicken to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until the chard softens. Once the pasta has finished cooking, save 1 cup of cooking water and add pasta to the pan. Add 1 cup of parmesan cheese and toss. Add pasta water as needed to bring help to bring the sauce together.
- Serve topped with crushed chicken skin, 1 teaspoon of chives and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
